Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P04637 (p53)
 77,613 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Germline mutations of the LKB1 tumor suppressor gene lead to Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS), with a predisposition to cancer. LKB1 encodes for a nuclear and cytoplasmic serine/threonine kinase, which is inactivated by mutations observed in PJS patients. Restoring LKB1 activity into cancer cell lines defective for its expression results in a G(1) cell cycle arrest. Here we have investigated molecular mechanisms leading to this arrest. Reintroduced active LKB1 was cytoplasmic and nuclear, whereas most kinase-defective PJS mutants of LKB1 localized predominantly to the nucleus. Moreover, when LKB1 was forced to remain cytoplasmic through disruption of the nuclear localization signal, it retained full growth suppression activity in a kinase-dependent manner. LKB1-mediated G(1) arrest was found to be bypassed by co-expression of the G(1) cyclins cyclin D1 and cyclin E. In addition, the protein levels of the CDK inhibitor p21(WAF1/CIP1) and p21 promoter activity were specifically upregulated in LKB1-transfected cells. Both the growth arrest and the induction of the p21 promoter were found to be p53-dependent. These results suggest that growth suppression by LKB1 is mediated through signaling of cytoplasmic LKB1 to induce p21 through a p53-dependent mechanism.
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PMID:Growth arrest by the LKB1 tumor suppressor: induction of p21(WAF1/CIP1). 1204 3

Using a transactivation-defective p53 derivative as bait, STK15, a centrosome-associated oncogenic serine/threonine kinase, was isolated as a p53 partner. The p53-STK15 interaction was confirmed further by co-immunoprecipitation and GST pull-down studies. In co-transfection experiments, p53 suppressed STK15-induced centrosome amplification and cellular transformation in a transactivation-independent manner. The suppression of STK15 oncogenic activity by p53 might be explained in part by the finding that p53 inhibited STK15 kinase activity via direct interaction with the latter's Aurora box. Taken together, these findings revealed a novel mechanism for the tumor suppressor function of p53.
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PMID:Suppression of the STK15 oncogenic activity requires a transactivation-independent p53 function. 1219 51

Death-associated protein kinase (DAP-kinase) is a calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine kinase, and participates in various apoptosis systems. However, its apoptosis-promoting mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that DAP-kinase suppresses integrin-mediated cell adhesion and signal transduction, whereas dominant-negative interference of this kinase promotes adhesion. This effect of DAP-kinase is neither a consequence of apoptosis nor a result of decreased expression of integrins. Rather, DAP-kinase downregulates integrin activity through an inside-out mechanism. We present evidence indicating that this adhesion-inhibitory effect accounts for a major mechanism of the apoptosis induced by DAP-kinase. First, in growth-arrested fibroblasts, DAP-kinase triggers apoptosis in cells plated on fibronectin, but does not affect the death of cells on poly-l-lysine. Second, in epithelial cells, DAP-kinase induces apoptosis in the anoikis-sensitive MCF10A cells, but not in the anoikis-resistant BT474 cells. Most importantly, the apoptosis-promoting effect of DAP-kinase is completely abolished by enforced activation of integrin-mediated signaling pathways from either integrin itself or its downstream effector, FAK. Finally, we show that integrin or FAK activation blocks the ability of DAP-kinase to upregulate p53. Our results indicate that DAP-kinase exerts apoptotic effects by suppressing integrin functions and integrin-mediated survival signals, thereby activating a p53-dependent apoptotic pathway.
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PMID:DAP-kinase induces apoptosis by suppressing integrin activity and disrupting matrix survival signals. 1237 Feb 43

The CHK2 gene codifies for a serine/threonine kinase that plays a central role in DNA damage response pathways. To determine the potential role of CHK2 alterations in the pathogenesis of lymphoid neoplasms we have examined the gene status, protein, and mRNA expression in a series of tumors and nonneoplastic lymphoid samples. A heterozygous Ile157Thr substitution, also present in the germ line of the patient, was detected in a blastoid mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). CHK2 protein and mRNA expression levels were similar in all types of lymphomas and reactive samples, and these levels were independent of the proliferative activity of the tumors. However, 5 tumors, one typical MCL, 2 blastoid MCLs, and 2 large cell lymphomas, showed marked loss of protein expression, including 2 samples with complete absence of CHK2 protein. These 2 lymphomas showed the highest number of chromosomal imbalances detected by comparative genomic hybridization in the whole series of cases. However, no mutations, deletions, or hypermethylation of the promoter region were identified in any of these tumors. mRNA levels were similar in cases with low and normal protein expression, suggesting a posttranscriptional regulation of the protein in these tumors. CHK2 gene and protein alterations were not related to p53 and ATM gene status. In conclusion, CHK2 alterations are uncommon in malignant lymphomas but occur in a subset of aggressive tumors independently of p53 or ATM alterations. The high number of chromosomal imbalances in tumors with complete absence of CHK2 protein suggests a role of this gene in chromosomal instability in human lymphomas.
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PMID:CHK2-decreased protein expression and infrequent genetic alterations mainly occur in aggressive types of non-Hodgkin lymphomas. 1239 93

Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome (PJS) is thought to be caused by mutations occurring in the widely expressed serine/threonine protein kinase named LKB1/STK11. Recent work has led to the identification of four mutants (R304W, I177N, K175-D176del, L263fsX286) and two novel aberrant LKB1/STK11 cDNA isoforms (r291-464del, r485-1283del) in a group of PJS Italian patients. Three of the four mutations only change 1 or 2 amino acids in the LKB1/STK11 catalytic domain. Here we demonstrate that all six LKB1/STK11 variants analysed are completely inactive in vitro as they were unable to autophosphorylate at Thr336, the major LKB1/STK11 autophosphorylation site, and to phosphorylate the p53 tumour suppressor protein. We also show that 5 out of the 6 variants are entirely localised in the nucleus in contrast to the wild type LKB1/STK11, which is detected in both the nucleus and cytoplasm. Finally we demonstrate that all 6 LKB1/STK11 variants, in contrast to wild type LKB1/STK11, are unable to suppress the growth of melanoma G361 cells. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the LKB1 mutations investigated in this study lead to the loss of serine/threonine kinase activity and are therefore likely to be the primary cause of PJS development in the patients that they were isolated from.
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PMID:Functional analysis of LKB1/STK11 mutants and two aberrant isoforms found in Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome patients. 1255 71

To analyse individual factors that may contribute to leukemic transformation in vivo, we have developed a murine model of leukemogenesis based on the early hematopoietic precursor cell FL5.12. FL5.12 cells are interleukin-3 (IL-3) dependent for growth, proliferation, and survival. Relative resistance to cell death following IL-3 withdrawal can be conferred by either overexpression of the Bcl-x(L) apoptotic inhibitor, or constitutive activation of the serine/threonine kinase Akt. The ability of Bcl-x(L) or a constitutively active myristylated Akt to promote leukemic transformation of FL5.12 cells was compared in athymic nu(+)/nu(+) mice. Bcl-x(L) alone could not promote leukemic transformation, but mice injected with FL5.12 cells overexpressing Bcl-x(L) and a dominant-negative p53 construct developed leukocytosis and blastic infiltration of lymph nodes, spleen, and liver with features of a high-grade lymphoid malignancy. In contrast to the cells injected into these animals, cell lines derived from the mice were able to proliferate in the absence of IL-3, and were found to have constitutively activated Akt. This constitutive activation was associated with a variety of alterations of the signaling pathway regulating Akt activity, including alterations of PTEN mRNA and protein expression. In addition, some of these leukemic clones demonstrated concurrent constitutive upregulation of ERK activity. A constitutively active Akt construct introduced into FL5.12 cells promoted similar clonal expansion in vivo, with emergence of clonal IL-3-independent proliferation. Bcl-x(L) and Akt appeared to function cooperatively in this model, enhancing rapid clonal outgrowth in vivo relative to Akt alone. These results implicate activated Akt and growth-factor independence in leukemogenic transformation, and demonstrate the potential for in vivo analysis of genetic determinants of leukemogenesis.
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PMID:Bcl-x(L) and Akt cooperate to promote leukemogenesis in vivo. 1256 61

Thyroid cancers are a leading cause of death due to endocrine malignancies. RET/PTC (rearranged in transformation/papillary thyroid carcinomas) gene rearrangements are the most frequent genetic alterations identified in papillary thyroid carcinoma. Although the oncogenic potential of RET/PTC is related to intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity, the substrates for this enzyme are yet to be identified. In this report, we show that phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1), a pivotal serine/threonine kinase in growth factor-signaling pathways, is a target of RET/PTC. RET/PTC and PDK1 colocalize in the cytoplasm. RET/PTC phosphorylates a specific tyrosine (Y9) residue located in the N-terminal region of PDK1. Y9 phosphorylation of PDK1 by RET/PTC requires an intact catalytic kinase domain. The short (iso 9) and long forms (iso 51) of the RET/PTC kinases (RET/PTC1 and RET/PTC3) induce Y9 phosphorylation of PDK1. Moreover, Y9 phosphorylation of PDK1 by RET/PTC does not require phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase or Src activity. RET/PTC-induced phosphorylation of the Y9 residue results in increased PDK1 activity, decrease of cellular p53 levels, and repression of p53-dependent transactivation. In conclusion, RET/PTC-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of PDK1 may be one of the mechanisms by which it acts as an oncogenic tyrosine kinase in thyroid carcinogenesis.
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PMID:RET/PTC (rearranged in transformation/papillary thyroid carcinomas) tyrosine kinase phosphorylates and activates phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1): an alternative phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-independent pathway to activate PDK1. 1273 63

Chronic myeloid leukaemia invariably progresses from a drug-sensitive to a drug-resistant, aggressive acute leukaemia. The mechanisms responsible for this are unknown, although loss of p53 has been reported in approximately 25% of cases. Elevated expression of Bcr-Abl is also associated with disease progression. We have shown that cells expressing high levels of Bcr-Abl also express elevated levels of p53 and the cell cycle inhibitor, p21WAF-1. Despite this, cells continue to cycle and are drug resistant. As p21WAF-1 inhibitory activity is associated with nuclear localization, we investigated its localization in Bcr-Abl-expressing cells, and found that it is predominantly cytoplasmic. We have also shown that it associates physically with the serine/threonine kinase AKT, but this association and the cytosolic location of p21WAF-1 are phosphinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) independent. Cytosolic p21WAF-1 has been reported to have a prosurvival role in other transformed cells. In Bcr-Abl-expressing cells, p21WAF-1 rapidly diminishes as the cells are sensitized to apoptosis, using the inhibitor STI571. It is possible therefore that p21WAF-1 could also have a positive, prosurvival role in these cells. This study suggests that, by retaining p21WAF-1 in a cytosolic location, Bcr-Abl can evade the cell cycle arrest normally induced by nuclear p21WAF-1 and therefore also enable the cells to negate an important feature of a tumour suppressor response.
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PMID:Bcr-Abl upregulates cytosolic p21WAF-1/CIP-1 by a phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)-independent pathway. 1451 Sep 40

Akt/protein kinase B is a serine/threonine kinase that plays a critical role in cell survival signaling, and its activation has been linked to tumorigenesis in several human cancers. Up-regulation of Akt, as well as its upstream regulator phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, has been found in many tumors, and the negative regulator of this pathway, mutated in multiple advanced cancers suppressor (MMAC; also known as phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10), is a tumor suppressor gene. We have investigated the effects of inhibiting Akt signaling in tumor cells by expression of an Akt kinase-dead mutant in which the two regulatory phosphorylation sites have been mutated to alanines. This mutant, which functions in a dominant negative manner (Akt-DN), was introduced into tumor cells using a replication-defective adenovirus expression system. As controls we used adenoviruses expressing p53, MMAC, beta-galactosidase, and empty virus. We show that in vitro proliferation of human and mouse tumor cells expressing high levels of activated/phosphorylated Akt was inhibited by both Akt-DN and p53, in comparison with control viruses expressing beta-galactosidase. Similarly, Akt-DN mutant expression led to selective induction of apoptosis in tumor cells expressing activated Akt. On the other hand, Akt-DN expression had minimal effect in normal and tumor cells expressing low levels of activated Akt. Expression of MMAC induced selective apoptosis in tumor cell lines in which MMAC is inactivated but not in tumor cells expressing wild-type levels of MMAC. In addition, the growth of tumor cells in a mouse model was also significantly inhibited by intratumoral injection of Akt-DN virus. These studies validate the usefulness of targeting Akt for new drug discovery efforts and suggest that inhibition of Akt may have a selective antitumor effect.
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PMID:Adenoviral-mediated expression of a kinase-dead mutant of Akt induces apoptosis selectively in tumor cells and suppresses tumor growth in mice. 1458 64

Homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2) is a serine/threonine kinase involved in transcriptional regulation and apoptosis. Here we demonstrate that HIPK2 regulates transforming growth factor (TGF) beta-induced c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) activation and apoptosis. HIPK2 colocalizes with Daxx, a protein acting in TGF-beta-induced JNK activation and apoptosis, in promyelocytic leukemia (PML) nuclear bodies, and triggers PML-nuclear body disruption and release of Daxx. HIPK2 interacts in vitro and in vivo via its kinase domain with Daxx, and a fraction of Daxx coprecipitates with HIPK2 under physiological conditions. Moreover, overexpression of HIPK2 leads to Daxx phosphorylation, and ectopic expression of HIPK2 activates the JNK signaling pathway, which is enhanced by coexpression of Daxx. HIPK2 signals to JNK via a pathway using Daxx and the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases MKK4/SEK1 and MKK7. Ectopic expression of HIPK2 and Daxx potentiates TGF-beta-induced apoptosis in human p53-deficient hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Finally, we demonstrate that knockdown of endogenous HIPK2 using RNA interference inhibits TGF-beta-induced JNK activation and apoptosis. Taken together, our findings indicate that HIPK2 participates in the TGF-beta signaling pathway leading to JNK activation and apoptosis.
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PMID:HIPK2 regulates transforming growth factor-beta-induced c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase activation and apoptosis in human hepatoma cells. 1467 85


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